Study: QSR and Fast Casual only restaurant segments to see traffic growth in '17

January 3, 2017

If there's a bright spot in the restaurant industry outlook for the year ahead, at least one data analysis and research company believes it will be in the…

Pizza Hut pushes online ordering with half-off deal

January 3, 2017

As we enter the nation's official "I'm totally broke" week after the holiday hulabaloo, Pizza Hut is sending some relief with a half-off pie promotion aimed…

Commodities: A rocky 2016 ends with pizza stocks falling

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

The last week of 2016 was brutal for pizza stocks, which bled off significant value before the close of trading on Dec. 30.

Pushing boundaries: Top 10 menu trends of 2017 revealed

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Combining cuisines from all over the world will be 2017's No. 1 trend. Other trends include spicier flavor profiles, more vegan and veggie options and DIY…

Rapid Fired lands in northern Kentucky

December 30, 2016

The Greater Cincinnati suburb of Florence, Kentucky, is the latest city to see a Rapid Fired Pizza open — this one squarely in the middle of the city's…

The lucky 13: Twitter features to maximize restaurant marketing

by Seshu Madabushi — Founder & CEO, mKonnekt

Twitter has effectively been our micro-blogging friend for a decade, which has changed the face of marketing because this great promotional tool allows brands…

'If in doubt, leave it out': The lessons in Cinnabon's Carrie Fisher tweet

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Cinnabon's poorly received social media post about Carrie Fisher, upon her death this week, has restaurant leaders talking about how best to prevent such…

5 findings inside diners' minds make great guides for 2017

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

NPD Group recently outlined its top five predictions about the American diner's state of mind as it relates to the dinner plate. Taken collectively, these five…

5 tips to boost customer loyalty in 2017

by Jon Siegel — CMO, ZBoxDVD

The new year is fast upon us, and with it comes new opportunities for restaurant brands to surprise and delight their customers with engaging and rewarding…

Commodities: Down, down, down … for all but Domino's

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Commodities traders were invoking Johnny Cash's lyrics during trading in the week before Christmas, as prices on all pizza chain commodities except auto fuel…

News items from around the restaurant scene this week

December 22, 2016

Lots of brands are making end-of-year moves that are making a difference in the lives of their customers and communities. Here are a handful of news morsels…

Yum declares 1st dividend after split from China business

December 22, 2016

In its first dividend declaration since separation from its China business, Yum Brands Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share…

Are you accounting for those holiday gift cards correctly?

by Dustin Minton — National Restaurant Practice Co-Leader, BDO USA, LLP

For many restaurants, the holiday season bustles with promotions, parties and gift card sales. But amid the season's cheer, restaurants must account for these…

Bridg partners with Papa Murphy's for big results with lapsed customers

December 21, 2016

Papa Murphy's recently partnered with Bridg to create buzz and business with the chain's lapsed customers, according to a company press release.

Global Q3 restaurant traffic holds it own

December 21, 2016

The restaurant industry worldwide was stable for Q3 2016 and, in fact, performed better than the previous quarter despite numerous events around the globe that…

A 'post mortem': Looking back at 2016's hard-learned lessons

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Experts weigh in on the eight lessons they learned in 2016 about the fine art of running a restaurant.

You can’t win an EEOC lawsuit, but you can prevent it

Of the 89,385 charges the EEOC reviewed in 2015, Retaliation, Race, Disability, and Sex discrimination were the most prevalent, and 28,000 charges, or 3…

How is color coloring customer perceptions?

Color is critical to customer experience since it has a notable and predictable impact on their moods and emotions.

New food hub connects the local vegetable stand to biggest restaurant brands

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

December 20, 2016

Restaurateurs hoping for a central, tech-connected marketplace linking small local farmers to the skyrocketing number of restaurants, whose customers are…

Marco's to make its mark: Nearly 200 new sites by 2021

December 19, 2016

Marco's is making its move in a big way, announcing today that the chain will add nearly 200 new stores — mostly in the Midwest — within three to five years…